»09/04/2013INDIA - VATICAN - SYRIAFor Indian Muslim scholar, the pope's appeal on Syria must be heededSyed Razi Ahmad Kamal heads the Department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, an important Indian university. For him, the Syrian crisis is very "worrying, and "Both parties are responsible for the killing of innocent civilians." A peace conference "must be organised" and "all the parties must participate".

New
Delhi (AsiaNews) - "The
Pope's appeal for peace in Syria is
something pure; something everyone
should follow. Peace is a duty everywhere. God created this world to give humans a home, not to let them destroy it," Syed Razi Ahmad Kamal, head of
the Department of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia,
a historic Islamic University in India, told AsiaNews.

Since Pope
Francis called for a
day of prayer and fasting on 7 September, different
voices from different communities, Christian
and non-Christian,
have expressed their support for the initiative to see
peace "break out in Syria, the Middle East and the world."

"The situation
in Syria is quite serious and worrying,"
the professor said. "Both parties are responsible
for the killing of innocent civilians. It
is a massacre that is bleeding
that land. Nobody has the right to kill another human being. Everyone has the right and the desire to be respected by others."

What is more, "according to the Bible and the Qur'an,
it is everyone's duty to try to create
an environment of peace, so that everyone
on earth can enjoy life."

Hence, for Prof Kamal, there absolutely must be "a peace conference as soon as
possible. It must be organised
and all the parties must participate. It is important to identify who is responsible and stop them, and every
possible effort must be made to bring
peace to the region." (GM)

IRANTime for a deal with Tehran, a reliable partner against the Islamic State groupby Bernardo Cervellera
A framework agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue has to be inked by 31 March. US Republicans, Israel and Saudi Arabia are fiercely opposed to it for ulterior motives. Hassan Rouhani wants Iran to come back into the international fold. Tehran is playing a mediating role in the Middle East. For Vatican nuncio, “there is no evidence that Iran is preparing a nuclear bomb.”

CHINA-VATICANNothing to toast between China and the Vatican: Beijing wants complete controlby Bernardo CervelleraFor the Global Times (the People's Daily) China does not like the "Vietnamese model" of agreed episcopal ordinations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s embarrassment in front of the Holy See’s countless efforts. China wants the Vatican to accept all excommunicated bishops and to keep silent on those who are underground and imprisoned. The case of Msgr. Cosma Shi Enxiang. Without religious freedom, diplomatic relations are pointless. The work of mission and the unity of Catholics in China. A task for Xi Jinping: implement the anti-corruption campaign in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Patriotic Association, which have grown rich over the decades on the backs of Christians.